Toy airplane catapult



Nov. 23, 1937. w RAH M 2,099,957

TOY AIRPLANE CATAPULT Filed march 14, 1936 w 'ij Patented Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFlC E TOY AIRPLANE CATAPULT Joseph W. Graham, Spokane, Wash. Application March 14, 1936, Serial No. 68,849 team. (01. 124-21) This invention relates to a catapult for toy airplanes and one object of the invention is to provide a device of this character so constructed that it resembles a'pistol and may be held in a person's handwhile launching the toy airplane.

Another object of the invention is to so form the device that it includes a stock or handle by which it is to be held, a barrel extending from the stock and adapted to support the toy air,-

plane to be launched, resilient impelling means carried by the barrel, and a trigger for holding the impelling means in a set position carried by the stock in such position that it may be actuated by a finger of the hand grasping the stock.

Another object of the invention is to so cor' i-' struct the barrel that a block forming part of the impelling means will be slidably mounted therein. and moved forwardly with great force when released by actuation of the trigger so that the toy airplane will be launched at high speed.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for guiding movement along the barrel when launched and thus cause accurate launching thereoi.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which resembles a cross bow and may be used for discharging arrows as well as for launching toy airplanes.

Another-object of theinvention is to provide a device of this character which may be operated with one hand as a pistol is handled or used in the samemanner as a rifle.

- The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved catapult.

Fig. 2.is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the device.

Fig. 3 is a' sectional view taken transversely through the barrel along the line 3-4 of Figure 2. I

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the is slidably mounted in the barrel.

This device which is intended for use as a catapult for launching toy airplanes has a handle l i shaped like the stock oi a pistol and having its upper portion extended'iorwardly to provide an arm or extension 2 bored from its front end to form a socket 3 into which fits the rear end portion of the barrel 5. The handle is preferably formed of wood although any desired material may be used but the barrel consists of a metal tube and has its upper side portion formed with, a longitudinally extending-slot 5 leading block which from its front end and terminating in spaced relationto its rear end. The upper portion of the arm 2 is open as shown in Figure 1 so that the slot will be exposed for its entire length, and a short distance in advance of the rear end of the slot the barrel has its under portion formed with an opening 6 to receive the bill or hook .1 formed at the front end of the arm 8 of the trigger 9. This trigger is pivotally mounted in a slot or groove Ill formed in the extension 2 under the socket 3 by a pin H and is yieldably held in its normal position by a U-shaped spring "which is mounted in the rear portion of the slot or trigger seat Ill and yieldably resists rearward movement of the trigger. The usual trigger guard l3 extends forwardly from the handle to the front end of the extension 2 and serves as a guard for the trigger and also as a brace for the extension. By forming the handle as set forth above it may be grasped with one hand in the same manner in which a pistol is held and one linger passed through the trigger guard to engage the trigger and exert pressure thereon when an airplane is to be launched. Sockets H are formed in the back of the handle to receive the arms of a yoke l5 formed of rod-metal which when in place extends rearwardly from the handie and is of suffleient length to bear against a person's shoulder and function as a rifle stock. When the yoke or auxiliary stock i5 is applied and the device used as a rifle instead of as a pistol it is necessary to support the barrelintermediate its length and therefore there has been provided a grip l8 formed of wood or other desired material and having its upper side portion formed with an undercut groove to receive the headed rib ill carried by the barrel. As the grip I6 is slidable along the rib it may be shifted to a position in which it can be conveniently grasped by a person using the device.

An airplane l8 which is to be launched is dis- .posed over the barrel longitudinally thereof as shown in Figure 2 and at its rear end carries a depending wire finger 09 which extends through the slot 5 and ends in a rearwardly projecting terminal Zli. A support 2! is carried by the airplane intermediate its length and has a dependlab a straight path when moving longitudinally of the barrel as it is discharged.

An impeller consisting of a block of wood or metal which is cylindrical in shape and of a diameter to slidefreely within the barrel fits into the through the barrel close to the front end thereof and forming a portion of a bow which is completed by the strips of resilient metal. These strips 30 have their inner ends firmly seated in kerfs 3| formed in ends of the rigid bar 29 and have their outer ends rolled to form eyes 32 through which are threaded rubber bands 33.

- These rubber bands extend longitudinally of the barrel at opposite'sides thereof and have their rear end portions threaded through eyes 36 formed at ends of a cross bar carried by and extending transversely of a web 35 which rises from the block 25 and extends longitudinally thereof. This web is slidably received in the slot 5 of the barrel with the cross bar 35 disposed over the barrel as shown in Figure l and at its front end the web is formed with forks Bl adapted to straddle the finger i9. Therefore the finger will be maintained in a vertical position out of contact with walls of the slot 5 and it will slide freely through the slot during launching of the airplane.

When this device is in use the finger it and guide stem 22 are engaged through the slot 5 and the airplane shifted longitudinally of the barrel towards the rear end thereof. During this movement the terminal of the finger engages in the socket 21 of the impeller and the impeller will be carried rearwardly with the airplane to a position within the extension 2 of the handle and as it approaches this position it rides over the bill I of the trigger and comes to rest back of the bill which holds it in the set position. Rearward movement of the impeller stretches the rubber person using the device exerts pressure upon the trigger to swing the arm 8 thereof downwardly and move the bill through the opening 6 out of a position in front of the impeller, the impeller will be drawn rapidly towards the front end of the barrel and carry the airplane forwardly with it. Forward movement of the impeller is halted when the bumper engages the portion of the cross bar extending transversely through the barrel but the airplane will continue its forward movement andbe discharged fromthe catapult with suiilcientforce to cause it to take flight and sail forwardly.

through the air. As the guide 2| and the finger l9 prevent transverse shifting of the airplane or tilting thereof as it moves along the barrel it will be held in a true course and caused to fly through the air in the desired direction.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A catapult comprising a handle, a tube extending from said handle and formed with a longitudinally extending slot open at its front end, a cross bar extending transversely through said tube near the front end thereof, resilient strips carried by the cross bar and projecting from opposite ends thereof, a block slidable longitudinally insaid tube and having a web along its upper portion projecting outwardly through said slot and formed with forks at its front end, a crosshead carried by the outer end of said web back of the forks and projectingfrom opposite sides of the tube, elastic bands connecting ends of said crosshead with outer ends of the resilient strips, a bumper projecting forwardly from said block. within the tube for engaging the crossbar and limiting forward movement of the block'when projected forwardly, the front end of the block above the bumper being stepped rearwardly to form a horizontal shoulder and above the shoulder being formed with a socket open at its front,

an opening being formed in the under portion of 1 and hold the block in a set position with the elastie bands and resilient strips tensioned, and a spring engaging said trigger andyieldably resisting movement of the trigger in a direction to move the bill outwardly through the opening to a position for releasing the block.

JOSEPH we 

